Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price Q&A: Why she is against the Voice to Parliament

Since she was elected in the 2022 Federal election, Senator Price has emerged as one of the most prominent anti-voice campaigners.

On her first day on the job, Senator Price claimed that Aboriginal communities would be "exploited" through the referendum and said her goal is to stop "pointless virtue signalling".

The Examiner sat down with Senator Price to explore why she has fronted the "No to Voice" campaign.

Why are you opposed to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament?

I don't believe in dividing ourselves along the lines of race. I don't think separatism has ever contributed very meaningfully to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians. While we represent 3 per cent of the Australian population, only 20 per cent of Indigenous Australians are marginalised. But the Voice suggests that we are all inherently disadvantaged for no reason other than our racial heritage. By constitutionally enshrining these special measures, it suggests that we will be disadvantaged in perpetuity, and we don't want that. I'm hoping we won't need a portfolio for Indigenous Australians one day because we'll have reached parity. We'll all be on the same level with one another. We'll all just be Australians.

If the Voice to Parliament is not the best way to address the plight of Indigenous Australians, what is?

We have over 3300 Aboriginal organisations that are funded to improve the lives of marginalised Australians. And what we should do instead of waste money on the Voice to Parliament referendum is improve these structures that currently exist, that make tangible change to the Indigenous communities who need it. The Prime Minister tells Australians that the Voice has never been done before. Well, we have created bloated bureaucracies before. We just haven't constitutionally enshrined them.

Many surveys, such as those by YouGov and Ipsos, suggest that around 80 per cent of Indigenous Australians support the Voice to Parliament. If these surveys are correct and the vast majority of Indigenous Australians are in favour of the Voice to Parliament, why are you opposed to it?

I know, the Prime Minister would probably like to think that those polls are reflective of the indigenous community, but I don't think they are. There was also another poll conducted by Get Up that suggested only 45 per cent of Indigenous Australians knew anything about the Voice, and only 25 per cent of that 45 per cent supported it. So my concern with the Ipsos poll is that it was an online survey where people could identify, so we don't know whether they are Indigenous or not. And I don't know if the strength of those polls actually reflects what's going on in the community, certainly not given the conversations I've been having across the board.

In Tasmania, many people support enshrining the Voice into the Constitution. Just yesterday, our paper did a story about a local group supporting the Yes23 referendum campaign. Why do you think people are supportive of the Yes Campaign?

I think Australians are, in general, good people with good intentions. There is no shortage of goodwill in our country toward marginalised Indigenous Australians. I think the Prime Minister and proponents of the Yes Campaign have sold to some people the idea that this is the only way to move forward, that there is no other way, effectively exploiting the goodwill of Australian people.

Since entering parliament, your profile on the national stage has ballooned. How has the Voice to Parliament debate impacted you, personally?

I think being involved in politics and the way I have campaigned against domestic and family violence has always attracted negative responses from particularly nasty people. But I am humbled and amazed at the level of support I get around the country. Although it's a little strange getting used to the idea that people already know me that I don't particularly know.

Are there any further comments you would like to make about the referendum or visiting Tasmania more broadly?

I love Tassie. I love every opportunity to get back here. I think you guys are lucky to be detached from the mainland sometimes. I also hope that Tasmanians consider the referendum deeply and make sure you're informed before deciding how to vote because it has repercussions. A lot of Aboriginal Australians just want to be treated the same as everybody else.

Why not have your say? Write a letter to the editor here:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: